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Re: And so it begins ...

Originally Posted by @llli*babygirl05

You didn't do anything wrong!!!

He is obviously ready to be at this point, or he would be asking. Trust me, I know. Despite my best efforts to get her to cut down, DD still hounds me at times. If he really wanted it, you'd know. And he's obviously not done yet, so you never know how your nursing story will continue. It's just changed, it's not over. And now it will hopefully be much easier for you to continue longer than you might have, because you won't be burnt out from nursing more than you want to. Doesn't make the emotions any easier though, I'm sure.

Re: And so it begins ...

Originally Posted by @llli*joe.s.mom

These days, Joe often expresses a preference for cow's milk over mama milks, and it makes me feel so sad, and sometimes a little hurt when he turns down the breast.

I feel bad that I set so many limits on nursing, and I feel that I might have pushed him away a little too much (in my desire to avoid NIP, especially). But I do offer. So it has been his choice. For a long time, he was such a boob addict, I guess I never imagined he would voluntarily choose not to nurse before he was, I don't know, five?

DH, who is a stay-at-home-dad and has been very supportive of nursing, is nonetheless definitely encouraging him in the direction of weaning, and doesn't seem to understand my mixed feelings. From his perspective, Joe is over two, and obviously he's not going to nurse forever, what is my problem? It's hard for me to argue, especially since DH puts in a lot more hours parenting than I do. I understand that with my schedule (I have to attend night meetings a couple times a month), it's a lot easier for DH if he can put Joe to bed with cow's milk. And now he's learned to expect/prefer it, and he specifically asks for dad to put him to bed. (Who knew this was even possible?)

So now he really only nurses when he wakes up at night and in the early morning. I realize he could keep doing that for a very long time yet, and just because he only nurses a couple times a day doesn't mean he will wean right away. I never thought I would miss him constantly wanting to be in my lap, but I do. One aspect of Joe's toddlerhood seems to be an extreme DH-attachment, and now he rejects me (and my milkies) pretty frequently. Obviously, these things ebb and flow and you can't take it personally, but wow, it's harder than I expected!

I am really glad that Joe is sleeping better, and that he now goes to bed peacefully for DH. I just didn't realize that was going to mean that he would reject the breast.

Gah! MIXED FEELINGS. My baby is growing up!

Thanks for listening.

I just posted a thread myself because I'm going through something similar! It's a bit different - my baby is not yet 2 years and doesn't have the daddy-attachment as Joe does, because I'm the SAH one. But me being the SAH one is one of the things that also makes it hard - suddenly I'm still with her and taking care of her the whole day with MUCH LESS nursing - there's just this gap I don't know how to fill yet. It's the worst on rainy days when we can't go outside. I can't go to work or school right now - I wish I had a job or school or something so I don't focus that much on this weaning thing. My husband doesn't understand why I'm this sad, either. My baby hasn't had cow's milk because of a dairy sensitivity that we're waiting for her to outgrow (we have tried certain amounts of cheese and yogurt with good result), and my husband now suggests that we offer DD cow's milk, and I was like, "What, are you trying to take away my very last nursing sessions, to which I'm so desperately trying to hold on?"

First time, SAH mom to my precious daughter born October 2009
Nursing 27 months and counting... I still love nursing so much and am SAD thinking the end can come anytime now...

Re: And so it begins ...

Perhaps its just a new stage? A new part of the ever changing "dance" between the nursing mother and child?

Our nursing relationship has changed and evolved here. DS2 (25 mo) no longer nurses at bedtime or naptime or first thing in the morning. But he still likes to come find me AFTER having breakfast with DH to come lie with me and get some "mommy milk". I started the day today with both kids lying on me. Big kid getting his mommy snuggles. Little kid nursing while snuggling.

One big plus - it's been MUCH easier for others to do his bedtime or naptime. I've been able to be away at bedtime and be pretty confident that DS2 will go to bed for a babysitter.

Re: And so it begins ...

Just to update: Not much has changed. Joe still nurses in the middle of the night, and has yet to skip a night entirely. But he is going through a really negative phase lately, with lots of "NO MAMA!" and even "NO MAMA MILK!!" But when it's 4 a.m. and he comes into bed with us, he's usually all too happy to get a little midnight snack from mama. It has been hard, because it's not the gradual, loving weaning that I imagined for us, but I'm proud of him too. I'm hoping we keep these last few sessions for a long while yet.

You can call me JoMo!

Mom to baby boy Joe, born 5/4/09 and breastfed for more than two and a half years, and baby girl Maggie, born 7/9/12.

Re: And so it begins ...

And I should add that in addition to learning to say "No mama milk!" Joe has also learned to say "Mama milk pees." and "O' side." He's speech delayed, so those words are music to my ears. I hope he'll keep nursing a while longer.

You can call me JoMo!

Mom to baby boy Joe, born 5/4/09 and breastfed for more than two and a half years, and baby girl Maggie, born 7/9/12.

Re: And so it begins ...

Update again: Man, he's hardly nursing AT ALL anymore! Sometimes he'll suck for a while at night, but just as often, he'll just lie there playing with my hair until he goes back to sleep (playing with my hair seems to be the new comfort nursing ). He just seems pretty over it. Sometimes he sucks so shortly and so little that it almost doesn't count as a nursing session at all for that night.

I didn't think I'd be sad to see him weaning at 29 months! But I am. We have started TTC #2, and I'm coming to terms with the likelihood that if I get pregnant, Joe will just stop nursing for good. That may happen in the next month or two anyway.

On the other hand, I suppose it's a blessing that Joe is naturally self-weaning, and I don't have to wean him before he's ready. I'm just so torn about it.

You can call me JoMo!

Mom to baby boy Joe, born 5/4/09 and breastfed for more than two and a half years, and baby girl Maggie, born 7/9/12.